Beau Timken, the owner of True Sake(560 Hayes St., near Laguna St., 415-355- 9555) in Hayes Valley, is celebrating the shop’s 10th year. “For a while, in Japan, the rice beverage with the rice food pairing was considered a no-no because it was thought that you shouldn’t double down on rice,” he says. “But that’s not part of the mentality of modern-day sushi eaters.” Timken’s basic pairing premise is that your sake’s flavor profile should mimic your sushi’s. Look for these sakes at his shop or in restaurants:

Nigiri style: Dipped in a wasabi-soy puddle
Sake style: “For those who dip their sushi in a lot of soy, clean up the saltiness with a dry, ricey honjozo that helps emphasize the fish.”
Try: Kubota Senjyu 1000 Long Lives (Tokubetsu Honjozo), $28/720 ml

Nigiri style: Tricked out with a lot of ingredients
Sake style: “Come at nigiri topped by big flavors like spicy sauces with a fruity nama genshu, which is usually about 18 percent alcohol.”
Try: Narutotai Nama Genshu (Ginjo Genshu), $35/720 ml